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Player's Ball

1993 single by Outkast

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
2 min read
Source updated October 31, 2025
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

"Player's Ball" is the debut single from American hip hop duo Outkast. Originally released two weeks prior on the compilation A LaFace Family Christmas, the single was released on November 19, 1993 by LaFace, Arista and RCA, to promote the forthcoming debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994). The song itself discusses the nature of living in the South of the United States, and growing up within a hip hop culture. The accompanying music video was directed by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs.

The title refers to a traditional gathering of pimps in Atlanta. The song is referenced at least three times within other songs by the duo, including the final track on the debut album, the title track of the debut album, and a later single, "Elevators (Me & You)". The song peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting single from the group's debut album.

When Outkast made a guest appearance on Martin in the February 1995 episode All The Players Came, they also performed the song during the credits. The song was later featured in the 2002 film 8 Mile.

01Commercial performance

The single was certified gold on May 12, 1994, selling over 500,000 copies.

02Track listing

  • CD single
  1. "Player's Ball" (Radio Edit), 3:56
  2. "Player's Ball" (Album Version), 4:22
  3. "Player's Ball" (TV Mix), 4:23
  4. "Player's Ball" (Video Version), 4:14
  • Cassette single
  1. "Player's Ball" (Radio Edit), 3:56
  2. "Player's Ball" (Album Version), 4:22
  3. "Player's Ball" (Instrumental), 4:14
  4. "Player's Ball" (TV Mix), 4:23
  • 12" vinyl single
  1. "Player's Ball" (Extended Version), 6:00
  2. "Player's Ball" (Radio Edit, Dirty), 3:56
  3. "Player's Ball" (Radio Edit, Clean), 4:23
  4. "Player's Ball" (Remix Version), 4:27
  5. "Player's Ball" (Instrumental), 4:14
  • 10" 20th Anniversary EP (green vinyl)
  1. "Players Ball" (Dirty Version), 4:21
  2. "Players Ball" (Extended Version), 6:18
  3. "Ain't No Thang, 5:38
  4. "Crumblin' Erb", 5:09

03Personnel

  • André 3000, vocals
  • Big Boi, vocals
  • Organized Noize, keyboards, programming, drum programming, producer, mixing engineer
  • Edward Strout, guitar
  • Preston Crump, bass

04Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 37
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard) 6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 12
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard) 1
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard) 52

Year-end charts

Chart (1994) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 64
US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) 50

05Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Watch videos about Player's BallExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Player's Ball”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

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